SHRINK SMART

Governance of shrinkage within a European context

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'It is the aim of SHRINK SMART to study the role of policies and governance systems in different types of shrinking urban regions. It is based on comparative case studies from seven urban regions throughout Europe with a focus on disadvantaged urban regions in Eastern and Southern Europe that will provide a basis for analyzing different trajectories of shrinkage, understanding main challenges for urban planning and elaborating alternatives for urban governance. Firstly, the impact of shrinkage for urban and regional development that are caused by population losses will be identified focusing on different fields; the main challenges will be elaborated in a comparative perspective. Secondly, the relation between local institutional structures and modes of decision making on the one hand and the challenges of shrinkage on the other will be analysed. Here, the focus will be on strategies and instruments, on the relation of public and private actors and on institutional frameworks and cross-scale interactions. As a result, different trajectories of shrinkage processes within Europe will be defined and a set of policy recommendations for different constellations of shrinking cities will be developed. Furthermore, with the aim of providing practicable knowledge for decision-makers, SHRINK SMART will engage in extensive dissemination activities and develop a set of tools and policy recommendations. Summarizing, SHRINK SMART embarks on the following key objectives: • to identify main challenges caused by shrinkage for urban and regional development, • to develop an analytical framework for understanding the challenges of development in different types of shrinking urban regions, • to draw lessons and develop sustainable and transferable policy-recommendations, • to establish a network of experts on the phenomenon of shrinking urban regions, • to discuss the findings with practitioners and policy-makers in order to improve transferability of knowledge into action.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An in-depth study of shrinking cities can help unveil their problems and find remedies to reverse their downward development. Exchange of knowledge forms the base for intelligent responses to declining populations and slowing economies.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

As the EU comes together, it is opening up a myriad of work opportunities and spurring mobility among its cities and nations. While this generally boosts industry and competitiveness, many urban areas are witnessing a rapid decrease in their population, rendering current laws and policies in some of these areas ineffective or obsolete. The EU-funded project 'Governance of shrinkage within a European context' (Shrink SMART) studied how governance systems and their policies are affecting urban regions.

In order to improve urban governance and reawaken development, the project studied seven disadvantaged regions in eastern and southern Europe to analyse shrinkage, looking also at examples in western Europe. In Poland, the project looked at the cities of Bytom and Sosnowiec, while in Romania it studied shrinkage in Timisoara, the third most populous city in the country. Donetsk in Ukraine, considered a major economic, industrial and scientific centre of the country, was also studied, as was the Czech Republic's third largest city, Ostrava.

In western Europe, the project looked at Leipzig and Halle in eastern Germany, in addition to Liverpool in the United Kingdom. Italy's city of Genoa also benefited from the project team's in-depth studies. Overall, the team was able to identify the impact of shrinkage on urban and regional development, showing how a decreasing population affected the livelihood of communities. It closely investigated the dynamics between local institutional structures, decision making and the challenges of shrinkage.

Revealing how the public and private sectors interact with governmental institutions and frameworks in these cities, the project elaborated new policy recommendations and tools on how to address shrinkage. Overall, this study could potentially help revitalise these cities and transform them into attractive places to live in, reversing the declining trend and revitalising whole communities.